Embracing the Fuzzy Moments

Yesterday I realized that it has now been nearly four weeks since I completed Hope's latest style, box braids with cornrows.  Our box braids normally hold up very well, so I expect them to stay in for at least the next month or longer.  As I mentioned in the original post, however, it was my first time putting in cornrows, and I really didn't expect them to last longer than a couple of weeks.  I planned on the need to remove them and either redo them or opt for more of the single box braids in the front.  Time has just passed by, though, without me noticing a real need to do anything other than maintain the moisture needs of Hope's hair.  There has not yet been a moment when I have felt that these cornrows needed to be restyled.

Have a look~

You may notice that the cornrows are beginning to look a little fuzzy.  Well, maybe a lot fuzzy.  It's possible that you took one look at those cornrows, especially in the second photo, and you thought to yourself, "She needs to do something about that!"  For the cornrows are definitely not as tight and sleek as they were when I put them in, for sure.  Some of Hope's little 'baby hairs' have sneaked out of those cornrows, and, yes, they are also looser than they probably should be.

So why haven't I addressed the fuzz yet?  I guess the answer lies in my thoughts on fuzz, and also in my answer to another question:  Why do people care so much about fuzz?

My daughter is only four years old.  I certainly love the way her hair looks when it is newly styled and looking sleek and fresh (fuzz-free), but I don't love the way her hair looks any less after a little time has gone by and that sleek look has gone a little fuzzy.  I also don't see the need to subject Hope (or her hair) to repeated and (in my humble opinion) unnecessary styling just to correct what some may see as a fuzzy style.  As long as the moisture needs of my daughter's hair are being met (and they are) then I am not bothered by the fuzz.  Hope certainly doesn't even notice, which means she obviously does not care...so why should I make her conscious of her hair looking fuzzy at such a young age?  Soon enough, she may start to listen to the world's opinions about her appearance, so why start now?  I would rather help her celebrate and love her hair at every stage of every style--and yes, that means embracing the fuzz!

Now...I would like to see Hope get at least another month out of her box braids.  Will I let the fuzzy cornrows go for another month?  No, likely not.  But I'm not in a hurry!  I am also without a set plan...I may simply redo the cornrows or I may replace them with additional box braids in the front.  Hope has a dance recital at the end of May, so that may influence my decision.  I'll post a style update once we're done.

We are definitely getting good use out of this style, as we always do with box braids.  In the photo above, I had put all of Hope's braids into one large french braid and left that in for several days.  When I removed the french braid, Hope's box braids had this lovely wave.  She's also been playing around with accessories, such as those cute little pink and purple clips as well as some headbands.  Also adorable was the ballerina bun which she wore a week ago.

The message of this post is so much more than to show off some photos of how we've been styling Hope's braids, or even to comment on my thoughts about fuzzy hair versus sleek hair.  It really goes to the heart of my philosophy on Hope's hair care...it is for Hope, and, as such should always be driven by my desire to honor her needs as well as her stage in life (i.e., while she doesn't notice the fuzzy look at age four, I'm sure she will at age fourteen and so my approach to it will change to honor that when that time comes).  While the world will certainly notice Hope's hair, and some people may express opinions (favorable or otherwise), I must never care more about those opinions then my own and that of my daughter.  I must also trust my own instincts about how to care for her hair, including how and when (or whether) to restyle a look that has gone fuzzy.

How about you?  Do you embrace the fuzzy moments?

Blessings,
Nikki

Box Braids with (my first ever!) Cornrows

Yes,  you read that title correctly... Hope's latest style features her mother's very first cornrows!  I've tried to do them before and never quite gotten the hang of it.  Recently I french braided/cornrowed Hope's mini box braids, though, and that got me thinking of giving it another try on her loose hair.  So, I did, and at last we found success...although I'm sure with lots of room for future improvement.

Here are all the style details...

I want to start by saying that, as any of you who've done a large number of box braids knows, doing this many braids takes patience and T-I-M-E!  With a four year old, and with an unusually busy week last week, though, I didn't even think of attempting to complete the style in one (or even two) sessions.  We began by washing and conditioning in sections, and just doing a little bit of 'pre-detangling' in the tub.  I loosely twisted each section as I completed it, and left those twists in for the final rinse.  I then added coconut oil which I had warmed up so it was in liquid form.

After leaving the bath, I detangled each section of hair (working in four sections) and then banded each section for stretching.  That was all I intended to accomplish on the first day.

I wasn't able to begin working on braiding Hope's hair until two days after banding, and when we began that process Hope's hair had dried completely and was nicely stretched.

My plan was to remove bands in just one section at a time and then put in the box braids in that section.  That's exactly what I did over the following several days as time allowed.  Hope wore a number of 'transitional' looks during that time, and we're just okay with that!  I was aiming for very small braids as they last a nice long time for us (the bottom row contained six actually, and the pictures show just how long her hair is, too).

This is the length of hair I am working with for each braid!

I am aware of starting each braid tight, while not pulling excessively on Hope's scalp, 

and also keeping the braid tight throughout.

To finish off each braid, I simply twist the ends.

Here (above) is one of those 'transitional' looks I mentioned.  When we were about halfway finished, I removed all the colored pony o's I had used for banding and instead put in two large braids.  

When I (at last) reached the front section of Hope's hair, that is the moment I decided to try out putting in cornrows.

Hey!  It worked!

So, I added eight cornrows going away from Hope's face, and each cornrow ended in another long braid.  In addition to the eight cornrows in the front, Hope has about 75 box braids in the back.  I expect those to last a couple of months.  I also expect to either have to redo the cornrows, or put in box braids in the front instead at some point.  We'll figure that out when the time comes.

Hope is really enjoying these braids.  On a couple of days, she has worn them with these cute little pink & purple clips, but those are totally optional.  Other days, she has wanted to just wear them 'plain.'  

Products used:

In the bath...

~Organix Coconut Milk Shampoo

~Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl & Shine Conditioner

~Nutiva Organic Coconut Oil

For detangling...

~Taliah Waajid The Great Detangler

For braiding...

~Oyin Handmade Juices & Berries (I needed a little of this to soften each dried section before parting)

~Oyin Handmade Sugar Berries Pomade

~Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Curl Enhancing Smoothie (just a little bit on those ends)

Blessings,

Nikki